''The Greaser's Gauntlet'' is a 1908 American silent short

adventure film The adventure film is a broad genre of film. Some early genre studies found it no different than the Western film or argued that adventure could encompass all Hollywood genres. Commonality was found among historians Brian Taves and Ian Cameron in ...

directed by

D. W. Griffith David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the n ...

. It was released by the

Biograph Company The Biograph Company, also known as the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, was a motion picture company founded in 1895 and active until 1916. It was the first company in the United States devoted entirely to Filmmaking, film production an ...

and copyrighted on August 6, 1908. The film introduced the first extended use of parallel editing in Griffith's work.

Plot

The film begins as Jose, a young Mexican man, leaves his home in the Sierra Madre Mountains in order to make his way in the United States. Before he leaves, his mother presents him with a pair of gauntlets embroidered with a cross, which are intended to be a reminder of her love as well as what she has taught him: "to be temperate, honest, and dispassionate; to bear the burden of life's cross with fortitude and patience." The film then moves on a tavern on the border, populated by cowboys, miners and railroad construction employees. Tom Berkeley is the engineer of the construction company, and his fiancée Mildred West has just arrived from New York. Bill Gates, an assistant engineer, secretly loves Mildred, though she rebuffs his unwanted advances. Mildred and Tom's entry in the tavern draws everyone's attention, during which a Chinese servant steals money from a group of cowboys playing poker and plants the cowboy's bandanna at Jose's feet. Jose mistakenly picks it up, thinking it is his own, and exits. The robbery is subsequently discovered and blame is placed on Jose. An angry mob subsequently drags him out to be

lynched Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged or convicted transgressor or to intimidate others. It can also be an extreme form of in ...

, despite his pleas of innocence, which Mildred believes. Jose is dragged off to the woods and a rope placed around his neck. He asks for the chance to say a final prayer. The film then cuts back to Mildred at the hotel, feeling pity for Jose. As she comes out of her hotel room, she suddenly spies the Chinese servant hiding the money he has stolen, revealing that he is the real thief. She snatches the money and runs to the site of the lynching, arriving just as Jose is raised into the air. She causes the mob to drop the rope, and Jose is released uninjured. After she explains what truly happened and returns the money to the cowboy, the mob leaves to chase after the servant, leaving Mildred and Jose alone. As a gesture of his deep gratitude he gives her one of the gauntlets and swears that if she ever needs his help, he will come to her rescue. Time passes by, during which Jose falls into drinking. The railroad contracts have finally been completed, and a party is thrown in honor of Tom Berkeley. Bill Gates attends and continues to make advances on Mildred, now Tom's wife. After he does not give up, she screams and calls Tom to her side, who attacks Bill and ejects him from the party, who swears to get his vengeance. Bill heads to the tavern and finds Jose, drunk, who with another accomplice helps Bill attack Tom's carriage on its way home from the party. They knock Tom out, then abduct Mildred and take her to the tavern. Jose leaves to continue drinking, during which time Mildred unsuccessfully attempts to escape and is blocked by Bill. When Jose returns, he suddenly sees the gauntlet on the floor, which Mildred dropped in her struggle with Bill. Realizing who she is, he attacks Bill and kills him as Tom and his friends burst into the room to save her. Mildred thanks Jose for aiding in her rescue, and Jose resolves to return to his mother in the mountains. The film ends with Jose fulfilling this promise and returning to his loving mother's arms.

Cast

Wilfred Lucas Wilfred Van Norman Lucas (January 30, 1871 – December 13, 1940) was a Canadian American stage actor who found success in film as an actor, director, and screenwriter. Early life Lucas was born in Norfolk County, Ontario on January 30, 1871,US ...

as Jose * Arthur V. Johnson as Tom Berkeley *

Marion Leonard Marion Leonard (June 9, 1881 – January 9, 1956) was an American stage actress who became one of the first motion picture celebrities in the early years of the silent film era. Early career Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Marion Leonard began her a ...

as Mildred West *

Charles Inslee Charles Edwin Inslee (January 6, 1870 – September 17, 1922) was an American actor. He appeared in 127 films between 1908 and 1921. Biography Born in New York City, Inslee was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Inslee ...

as Bill Gates *

Linda Arvidson Linda Arvidson (born Linda Arvidson Johnson, July 12, 1884 – July 26, 1949; sometimes credited as Linda Griffith) was an American stage and film actress. She became one of America's early motion picture stars while working at Biograph Studios ...

as Woman on Street / Party Guest *

Kate Bruce Kate Bruce BryantWilson, Scott (2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.'. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 96. .

* John T. Dillon *

George Gebhardt George Gebhardt (September 21, 1879 – May 2, 1919) was an American silent film actor. He appeared in more than 120 films between 1908 and 1922. He was born in Basel, Switzerland and died in Edendale, Los Angeles from tuberculosis. Select ...

as Chinese Waiter / Party Guest *

Anthony O'Sullivan Anthony O'Sullivan (c. 1855July 5, 1920) was an American silent film actor and film director. He appeared in more than 160 films between 1906 and 1918. He also directed 35 films between 1913 and 1915. He died in The Bronx, New York Director * ...

as Bartender *

Harry Solter Henry Lewis Solter (November 19, 1873 – March 2, 1920) was an American silent film actor and director. Career Solter began his career as an actor in 1908 with Biograph Studios. That same year he met actress Florence Lawrence while maki ...

as Kidnapper / Party Guest

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Greasers Gauntlet 1908 films 1908 short films 1900s adventure films American silent short films American black-and-white films Short films directed by D. W. Griffith Films with screenplays by D. W. Griffith Films with screenplays by Stanner E.V. Taylor 1900s American films Silent American adventure films 1900s English-language films English-language short films English-language adventure films